Som Tum — Green Papaya Salad
Experience the taste of Thailand with this refreshing and spicy green papaya salad. The perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors will leave you wanting more.
Som Tum — Green Papaya Salad
Experience the taste of Thailand with this refreshing and spicy green papaya salad. The perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors will leave you wanting more.
Key move
Pound gently to bruise, not pulverize, the ingredients for optimal flavor release.
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Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
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The Setup
- Mortar and PestleLarge
- Serving BowlMedium
The Mise en Place
5 of 9Your prep station before cooking begins
The Protein (0/1)
The Aromatics (0/1)
The Pantry (0/3)
Salad is too spicy.
Reduce the number of chilies or remove the seeds.
Salad is too sour.
Add more palm sugar to balance the acidity.
Chef's Notes
Bruise the garlic and chilies well in the mortar before adding other ingredients for maximum flavor.
For crispier papaya, soak shredded papaya in ice water for 10 mins, then drain well.
Serve immediately with sticky rice and grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete meal.
Pound dressing ingredients (garlic, chilies, peanuts) ahead. Shred papaya just before serving.
The Method
COMBINE
In a mortar, combine the chilies and garlic (2 cloves).
Chilies and garlic are in the mortar.
POUND
Pound gently until a coarse paste forms.
A coarse paste of chilies and garlic has formed.
ADD
Add the fish sauce (3 tbsp), lime juice (3 tbsp), and palm sugar (1 tbsp) to the mortar.
Fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar have been added to the mortar.
MIX
Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
Sugar has dissolved into the liquid mixture.
ADD
Add the green papaya (4 cups), tomatoes, and long beans (½ cups) to the mortar.
Green papaya, tomatoes, and long beans are in the mortar with the dressing.
POUND
Gently pound to bruise the vegetables, releasing their flavors.
Vegetables are bruised but not pulverized.
TRANSFER
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl.
The salad has been transferred to the serving bowl.
SPRINKLE
Sprinkle with roasted peanuts (¼ cups).
Roasted peanuts have been sprinkled over the salad.
SERVE
Serve immediately and enjoy!
The salad is ready to be served.
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